Coherent Backscattering of Light by Cold Atoms

1999/11/08 by G. Labeyrie, F. de Tomasi, F. De Tomasi +8 · 4 citations
Neuroscience · Physics and Astronomy · #Atomic physics #Backscatter (email) #Coherent backscattering #Laser #Laser light #Light scattering #Materials science #Neural dynamics and brain function #Optics #Orbital Angular Momentum in Optics #Physics #Quantum mechanics #Random lasers and scattering media #Rubidium #Scattering #Weak localization #cond-mat.dis-nn #physics.atom-ph

paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physrevlett.83.5266

published as Phys. Rev. Lett. 83 , 5266, (1999) · 4 pages REVTEX, 1 page color image GIF, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. Lett

arxiv created 1999/11/08 · openalex publication_date 1999/12/20 · arxiv updated 2009/11/30 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05

Abstract

Light propagating in an optically thick sample experiences multiple scattering. It is now known that interferences alter this propagation, leading to an enhanced backscattering, a manifestation of weak localization of light in such diffuse samples. This phenomenon has been extensively studied with classical scatterers. In this Letter we report the first experimental evidence for coherent backscattering of light in a laser-cooled gas of rubidium atoms.

Citations

• Observation of Bose-Einstein Condensation in a Dilute Atomic Vapor
• Complementarity and Young's interference fringes from two atoms
• Bose-Einstein Condensation in a Gas of Sodium Atoms

Cited by

• Mesoscopic coherence in light scattering from cold, optically dense and disordered atomic systems
• Chaos-assisted tunneling with cold atoms
• Localization of light in a three-dimensional disordered crystal of atoms
• Weak localization of light by cold atoms: The impact of quantum internal structure